As the Indianapolis Colts approach the NFL trade deadline, a FanSided writer has floated the idea of the team pursuing Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
The suggestion comes amid a difficult season for the Colts, who sit at 2-5 and have already begun dealing key pieces. Head coach Shane Steichen’s offense has struggled behind Daniel Jones, who signed a two-year deal worth $88 million in the offseason after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2025.
“The Colts won’t trade Daniel Jones, but they can accept they made a horrible mistake in giving him $40 million per year after he tore his Achilles,” Wynston Wilcox of FanSided wrote.
“Indianapolis is stripping this team down at the NFL trade deadline, which opens the opportunity for them to rebuild without completely starting over. Jones is on a two-year deal, so realistically, eating the second half of his contract considering he’s not playing that great is something to consider.
“This comes down to how the Colts move forward during this fire sale. If they give away all their top players for draft assets, it wouldn’t make sense. That said, if Jonathan Taylor survives the deadline and the offseason, bringing in a better quarterback might keep them from having to go through a full rebuild.”
Through seven games, Jones has completed 143 of 240 passes for 1,398 yards, with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. His completion percentage sits at 59.6 percent, well below the 68 percent mark he posted in his first season with Indianapolis.
Herbert, 28, has not fared much better in his seventh NFL season. The former sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft has completed 107 of 180 passes for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Chargers are 0-6.
Indianapolis ranks second in the AFC South, trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars at 4-2 while sitting ahead of the Houston Texans (2-5) and Tennessee Titans (1-6). The Colts lost 16-10 at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7 and face the Jaguars on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
The Colts have already traded Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers in recent days, signaling a shift toward accumulating draft capital after firing general manager Chris Ballard. Running back Jonathan Taylor remains on the roster for now.
Any pursuit of Herbert would face major obstacles. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the Chargers have never discussed trading him, and Herbert’s five-year, $262.5 million contract includes a full no-trade clause. Steichen previously served as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2020, Herbert’s rookie year.
The NFL trade deadline arrives Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET. Speculation has linked Herbert to several teams, though league sources have consistently indicated Los Angeles views him as off-limits.
For the Colts, the immediate focus remains the division matchup against Jacksonville. A stronger performance from Jones could quiet the outside noise, at least temporarily, as the organization continues reshaping its roster.
